Archive | October 2023

A Cranberry For Christmas by Charlie Dean

Oct17

Publication Promo Blitz

A Cranberry for Christmas

Alisha Jones, or Princess Christmas as she is affectionately known, is joint heir to her Grandpa Frost’s family fortune, but being third behind an older sister and brother means she has to work three times as hard to prove herself.

Marsha Underwood, her Grandpa’s PA and ever-present thorn in her side, is determined to undermine her at every turn and Alisha finds herself powerless to prevent this.

An encounter with a fortune teller at the Frost Christmas Ball leads to a bewildering dream of the future; and the added complication of Tom Walker, the son of Frost’s new business partner leads to a tumultuous year.

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Havoc by Ronie Kendig

Oct16

Loyal & True

Havoc by Ronie Kendig is a fabulous contemporary Christian suspense. It is the first book in the Breed Apart: Legacy series and I cannot wait for subsequent books.

The reader follows military dog Havoc and his ex-soldier owner. Although they were both invalided out of the military, they still both possess their skills. A simple acting job quickly becomes much more as both man and dog revert to type, putting their military training back into action.

Havoc and his owner work in partnership. Both can predict the other’s moods. Havoc, a large Malamute, whilst fiercely protective and loyal to his handler, still needs to be treated with caution. Their bond is beautiful to witness.

The past influences actions in the present. Previous hurts have made characters wary of forming new relationships. Cautiousness is sometimes mistaken for aloofness.

We all need a relationship with God. When the chips are down, a character presses into God with prayer. For another, it takes a dire situation, for the realization that the God, whom her friend believes in, is real.

God looks at us and He sees us. “He saw me. Not my name. Not my family.” God sees us just as we are. He looks at us and He loves us and He calls us His children.

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Finding Family At The Cornish Cove by Kim Nash

Oct16

Acts Of Kindness

Finding Family At The Cornish Cove by Kim Nash is a beautiful contemporary novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is the second book in the Cornish Cove series but can be read as a stand-alone.

This is a book about love, friendship and family. We see there are many types of family, just as there are many types of love – sibling, new love, old love, family love. Each is similar but different requiring different responses.

Likewise, families come in all different shapes and sizes. Family is those who love us. When we find family, we find home.

We see the deep grief that the loss of a mother brings. “There was a time… that I never thought I’d laugh again… I just existed in a little bubble of sadness.” We need to move beyond our grief and learn to live again. We fear losing sight of our loved one but they live on in our heart.

There is also the damage created by an absentee wife and mother. A family learned to live without her but there were emotional consequences as we see a teen learning to find her way.

We witness a character trying to live her mother’s dream, for fear of losing a memory but “this is where your memories are. In your heart and in your mind.” Her mother’s dream is enlarged when the lead character owns her own dream.

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The Legacy Of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky

Oct16

Heaven Sent

The Legacy Of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky is a most delightful Christian dual timeline novel that is extremely powerful and has lessons for us all.

The time periods of 1912 and 2012 are linked by Longdale Manor and the location of Keswick. Both time periods have similar themes too.

A major theme is that of forgiveness. We need to forgive because we are forgiven. If we fail to forgive, we risk becoming bitter. Forgiveness is not excusing the sin but it is freeing us and leaving any judgment to God.

In both time periods we see the damage of separation and witness the theme of the prodigal son. Sometimes the separation is not our fault but the fault of our parents. We are not destined to repeat their sins. There is power in reconciliation and much rejoicing when the prodigal returns home.

We see the importance of trusting. “Trusting God through the good times and bad.”. He is our good Father and can be trusted even if our earthly fathers fail us.

God is still at work even when He is silent. “God didn’t seem to care what happened to them.” God does care and God does love throughout all the seasons of our lives. “Facing challenging circumstances did not mean God was not in control.” God is always in control, even when our circumstances seem out of control.

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